Greetings from Rochester! My name is Christopher Adams. I am a second-year full-time MBA student here at Simon. I’m a Rochester native and a member of Simon’s Early Leaders Program, concentrating in Finance and Computer Information Systems. I joined Simon immediately after finishing my undergraduate studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and proud to report I’ve landed a human resources consulting job with Mercer in New York City.

The folks in Admissions have invited me to tell everyone about a new initiative we have here at Simon: The Simon Immersion Program. The purpose of Simon Immersion is pretty much what it sounds like – to welcome and immerse our new students into the social fabric of the Simon Community.

We do this with a two-prong approach: First, we organize a major event to showcase one of the many cultural fixtures here in Rochester, inviting everyone from the Simon community and the incoming cohort to come and mingle. To welcome the recent January entrants, everyone came together for a tour of one of Rochester’s most famous homes, the George Eastman House (for more on the George Eastman House, see Jackie’s blog).

Second, we provide all incoming students with an Immersion Officer – a current student who has made him or herself available to help address the questions or concerns of a small group of people from the incoming cohort. This way, new students have the opportunity to get to know a smaller group of their peers with more depth than they otherwise would, providing each other with a support network as they adjust to their new lives at Simon.

In addition, our incoming students have a chance to ask a current student the questions they might not ordinarily be able to: Where are the good places to eat and have fun off campus? Which neighborhoods should I consider for off-campus housing? Where can I go shopping for groceries or to buy a car? Realistically, how heavy is the workload? American culture questions are fair game too. One of the incoming students from India asked me about the proper way of introducing himself to a woman at a bar. The other Immersion Officers and I were more than happy to address questions such as these.

As you consider your options for business school, consider this – should you choose Simon, you will have a group of highly committed current students available to assist you in your transition to life here. You can utilize us as much or as little as you wish, but from the time you arrive here, you’ll always have someone to reach out to for support.

To read more about Christopher and his experiences in Rochester, visit his website at: www.chrisjadams.net.

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